Artwork

The parrot brings a fruit from the Tree of Life to the king of Syria, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night

Lalu , 1560

The parrot brings a fruit from the Tree of Life to the king of Syria, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night is an unspecified painting by the Mughal Painting artist Lalu. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

This painting comes from a book of stories told by a parrot to keep a queen from leaving home.

A bright green parrot sits on a king’s hand, offering him a glowing orange fruit. The king looks unsure, even though the fruit promises eternal life.

This painting comes from a book of stories told by a parrot to keep a queen from leaving home. The king’s hesitation shows wisdom—he’d rather stay mortal than risk unknown consequences. The tiny details, like the parrot’s feathers and the fruit’s shine, make the scene feel alive.

To see more art like this, look up mughal india, court of akbar (reigned 1556–1605).

Overview

The work illustrates a scene from the ninth night of the *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot), a manuscript narrative in which a green parrot presents a glowing orange fruit to the Syrian king. The bird perches on the monarch’s hand, while the ruler looks uncertain about accepting the offering that promises everlasting life.

Subject & Meaning

In the story, the parrot has retrieved the fruit from a netherworld tree as a reward for the king’s long‑standing generosity. The king’s hesitation reflects a moral choice: to remain mortal and avoid unforeseen consequences rather than seize the promise of immortality, underscoring themes of prudence and the limits of desire.

Technique & Style

The painting employs vivid coloration, with the parrot rendered in bright green and the fruit in luminous orange, creating a striking contrast against the surrounding tones. Fine brushwork details the bird’s feathers and the fruit’s sheen, lending a sense of immediacy and three‑dimensionality typical of Mughal court art.

Context

Produced in the Mughal period, likely during the reign of Akbar (1556–1605), the image reflects the court’s interest in Persian literary motifs and the integration of Indian artistic conventions. The *Tuti‑nama* itself served a didactic purpose, using the parrot’s tales to dissuade a queen from abandoning her domestic duties.

Legacy

The scene exemplifies the cross‑cultural exchange between Persian narrative traditions and Mughal visual culture, influencing later manuscript illustrations that blend storytelling with elaborate, naturalistic detail.